Roger Goodell handed out an unprecedented punishment yesterday for the New Orleans Saints and members of their coaching staff accused of running a bounty program. The Saints will lose second-round draft choices in 2012 and 2013 and pay a $500,000 fine. The biggest losers in the case are Sean Payton - who will serve a one year suspension - and Williams, whose suspension is currently "indefinite."
The Buffalo Bills, as well as the Tennessee Titans, Washington Redskins and Jacksonville Jaguars, escaped league discipline. Williams was Buffalo's head coach from 2001 to 2003, and worked with the Redskins and Jaguars following his departure from the Bills. Various reports said Williams ran bounty programs with these teams as well, but the league did not find evidence of that.
"While NFL staff has interviewed people in connection with public allegations of bounty programs at other clubs, no evidence was established showing that the programs at other clubs involved targeting opposing players or rewarding players for injuring an opponent," said the league in a press release. "Commissioner Goodell emphasized that if additional information is brought to his attention that discloses bounties offered for injuring specific opposing players, he will revisit the matter to consider additional discipline."
Williams' status will be reviewed at the end of the season, according to the statement. Commissioner Goodell will then make his decision on extending the suspension.